Blessings and Burns
by Gray Doll
Summary: A collection of unrelated drabbles, featuring all characters - but mainly Jisbon. All genres, all ratings, and a lot of randomness.
1. Rain

"Patrick Jane, you're going to pay for this," Lisbon said through gritted teeth, pushing a strand of wet hair away from her face.

He rolled his eyes, which only infuriated her more – if that was possible. "I'm not a meteorologist, Lisbon! I couldn't have predicted this!"

"You _could_ have avoided wrecking my car!" Lisbon snapped, averting her gaze from his to the empty road before them. "Now, thanks to you, we're stranded in the middle of nowhere, waiting for the rain to stop, with no means of returning to civilization whatsoever!"

Jane gave her an apologetic smile. "You can have my jacket if you're cold," he suggested, but she only glared at him. "Fine. Freeze to death," he murmured, and she gave him a punch on the arm.

"Jane, you know there will be hell to pay when we're back to Sacramento, right?"

He shrugged. "Might as well enjoy our time in the wilderness, then," he said airily, ignoring Lisbon's exasperated sigh as he started humming 'Singing in the rain'.

* * *

**Notes:** This is a collection of drabbles/short one-shots that I simply couldn't resist writing. You'll find almost all characters, all pairings, all genres in here... and a lot of randomness, so consider yourself warned! Thank you for reading!


	2. Snow

She gave a small yelp when the snowball connected with her face.

Blinking rapidly, she wiped away the snow covering her nose and cheeks and searched around for her attacker, ready to confront whoever had thought it'd be a good idea to throw a snowball at a passing officer of the law.

Her eyes widened when she spotted him grinning at her from across the pathway. Then, she sighed.

"Very funny, Jane!" she shouted, which only earned her a laugh from her consultant.

A few seconds later, he was too breathless to laugh as he hopelessly tried to duck away from her onslaught of snowballs.


	3. Red

Lisbon huffed and threw the earring across her vanity, scowling as she looked at herself in the mirror.

She had to admit she looked rather nice – the elaborate hairdo surprisingly suited her, and the dress was a perfect fit. But she didn't look like _herself_.

And these goddamned earrings simply refused to behave.

Jane came in and she turned to him with a frown, half-expecting a condescending remark.

His eyes roamed over her body, his jaw practically dropping to the floor.

"I never thought I'd say this, Lisbon... but I think red has just become my favorite color."


	4. Love

Grace was immensely puzzled when Wayne told her one night that it scared him how much he loved her.

She gave him an offended look. "Love isn't supposed to be frightening," she said. "Love is supposed to be beautiful and heart-warming and-"

"Completely fictitious," Wayne finished.

She raised her eyebrows in disbelief, but he went on before she could open her mouth to speak.

"Real love isn't all pretty and nice," he said with conviction. "It's difficult and passionate and overwhelming. _And_ beautiful, too. That's how I know I love you."


	5. Rumors

It was past midnight when the last CBI agent decided to leave the bullpen, but not before saying goodnight to Lisbon, who was (as usual) planning to work overnight.

She smiled at him, however she couldn't help but notice a strange glint in his eye. And had he just given her a conspiratorial smirk or was it just her imagination?

When the incident repeated itself the next morning, this time with a forensics technician, Jane was also present and he grinned brightly when Lisbon cast him a sideways glance.

"Oh, it's nothing to worry about. They just all think they've won a bet about you, me and my attic."


	6. Promise

She could hear the clock's rhythmic ticking as she lay in his arms, her fingers drawing random patterns across his chest. She felt him pull her closer and place another kiss atop her head, and she frowned.

"You have to leave again, don't you?" she asked warily.

He stroked her hair (she couldn't help but smile inwardly – she knew how much he loved her hair). "I do," he murmured, and she sighed.

"Why?"

He remained quiet for a moment. "I have... work to do," he said finally. "I'll be back again tomorrow, Rosie. Don't worry."


	7. Nightmare

All she could see through the darkness was a flash of light reflected on a steel blade.

She tried to sit up but she was so tightly bound to the bed she couldn't move an inch. She opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came out.

A cold, high-pitched laugh broke through the quiet of the room. She felt a gloved hand against her throat, sliding lower-

"_Lisbon_!"

She opened her eyes and saw his face, worry twisting his features.

"Jane?"

He pulled her tightly against him, his hand reaching up to stroke her hair. "It was just a nightmare," he whispered, "just a nightmare."


	8. Lies

The sound of knuckles against wood cut through the eerie silence of the upper floor, and Lisbon briefly wondered what had prompted her to come visit him in his attic at this time of night.

He opened the door and peeked out from behind it, giving her a small smile she knew was anything but genuine. He looked rumpled and tired, his eyes bloodshot.

"Are you going to let me in?" she asked softly, giving him some time to answer. When he didn't, she sighed and pushed the door fully open, stepping into the dimly lit room on her own.

"Lisbon-"

"We had an agreement, Jane," she said, holding his gaze. "No more lies."

He stared at her for a moment, then nodded and closed the door behind him.


	9. Jealousy

It was unsettling – frightening, even – that he couldn't stop thinking about her.

He supposed it was because of her glaring significance to Patrick's life – after all, he could hardly ignore the one person who managed to keep a broken and vengeful man sane for so long.

He used to think of how sweet her screams would sound when he cut her.

Now he could only think of how soft her skin would feel under his lips.

When he saw her smiling brightly one day after allowing his nemesis to spend the night at her house, he knew it could only mean one thing. What he didn't know was why he was feeling jealous instead of planning to take another loved one away from his foe.

It was ridiculous, he knew. It was _degrading_.

He decided then that he would either make her his, or erase her from both their lives completely.


	10. Doubts

Summer pouted as she looked up at Cho, blinking her eyes in an offended fashion.

"What now?" she asked, frowning as he hastily put on his shirt and work jacket.

"We have a case," he answered, eliciting a huff from his girlfriend.

"You never have time for me," she complained, folding her arms tightly about her chest. "It's always work, work, _work_."

"I can't just ignore a case, Summer," he said patiently, then proceeded to grab his tie from the ottoman. "I'll be back in a few hours, okay?"

She stayed in silence long after he'd left, staring at the empty wall, wondering if he really loved her.


	11. Rogue

She set her jaw with determination as she held the gun, eyes darting up to the window of the room she knew was his bedroom – and the more likely to find him in at this time of night.

Lorelei knew it was probably a bad idea to charge in without anyone to help her, but what else had she left to lose?

She kicked down the door and ran through the hallway, images of her sister's dead body whirling in her mind.

She frowned when she found the house was empty.

She heard him though, and then everything went dark.


	12. Chocolate

"Life's horrible," Grace muttered, bringing the bottle of wine to her lips. "My ex fiancé was a murderer... Wayne is getting married to Sarah... we're all on suspension..."

"I know," said Lisbon, slumping down onto the couch next to Grace. "Sometimes all I want is to beat the living daylights out of Jane – though I'm sure his pouty smile and unbelievable hair would freeze my hand midair..."

The two women sat in silence for a while, then Lisbon sighed and pulled a small chocolate bar from her pocket.

She smiled slightly, breaking it in two and handing half to Grace. "At least we have chocolate."


	13. Crush

Annie grinned widely as she sat down beside her aunt, a huge ice cream cone in her hand.

"Isn't he gorgeous?" she asked, and only then did Lisbon realize she'd been staring at Jane, who was teaching a random coin trick to a little child across the café.

She frowned, turning to her niece. "Isn't Jane a bit old for you, Annie?"

"Yeah right, like you can manipulate me," the girl laughed, inevitably noticing the flush that spread across Lisbon's cheeks.

"Aunt Teresa has a crush!" she said in a sing-song voice, only to cry out in protest when Lisbon snatched the ice cream from her.


	14. Apologies

Lisbon turned off her phone and threw it inside a drawer, not caring whether it would land safely or not.

She knew Jane was going to try and call again, but she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of answering.

She'd finally had enough.

It was late at night when Cho entered her office, his arms folded tightly about his chest.

"Don't you think you should make up with him, boss?"

Lisbon shook her head. "No more apologies from him," she said, her tone final.


	15. Lonely

She looked up at him, wincing slightly at the pain but giving no other indication she felt as though she was about to faint.

"I know why you were so furious with Jane," she said breathlessly, knowing she was likely in for an even more painful death but finding she didn't give a damn anymore.

He arched an eyebrow. "Do you, now?"

Lisbon forced a smile. "You _are_ a sad and lonely man. He spoke the truth about you, and you couldn't bear the thought that he was right. You can't admit it, but you _know_ he's right."

When she saw the flash of anger in his eyes, despite the blow that came next Lisbon knew she had won.


	16. Broken

She doesn't stop crying as he makes love to her, and she knows that he too would cry if it weren't for his apparent will to somehow comfort her.

But deep down she knows it's not her she's thinking of now – likewise, it's not him in her mind either.

That makes it all the more tragic, and tears keep streaming down her cheeks as she reaches her climax.

Later, as she's putting her clothes back on, she gives him a sad smile. "We're broken beyond repair, aren't we?"

He blinks his blue eyes. "I am. But you're not, Grace - you have your whole life ahead of you."

She shakes her head and leaves his attic, knowing she'll be back again tomorrow night.


	17. Plan

"You're insane." Lisbon stood in front of her consultant, stopping him before he could reach the door. "You really are."

Jane gave a shrug. "Well, I just might be, Lisbon. But honestly, the chances of my plan working are-"

"Minimal, at best," Lisbon finished. "Will you ever understand that proper police work is actually effective?"

"Lisbon-"

"No, Jane, you listen to me. I've been putting up with your crazy stunts for years now and I think I have the right to say when you should stop, because, really-"

She was silenced abruptly when Jane pressed his lips to hers, their kiss lasting only for the briefest of moments. When he pulled back, he was grinning widely, Lisbon staring at him dumbfounded.

"I know what I'm doing," he said confidently and turned to the door, leaving a smiling Lisbon in his wake.

"Of course you do."


	18. Mask

Grace sat at her vanity and carefully applied make up. She didn't need it, she knew, but she couldn't go a day without wearing it. It made a mask, and Grace knew how important it was to wear a mask.

"You're still not done?" Wayne drawled from the doorway. Grace shook her head, and he sighed. "You've been at it for over an hour now. You look beautiful."

"No, I don't." Grace resumed brushing powder over her cheeks, turning them an even paler shade.

"Of course you do." Wayne sounded impatient, but she only shrugged.

"You just don't get it."


	19. Beach

"I seriously can't believe I agreed to this." Lisbon stared out at the sea, her knuckles still somewhat aching from the punch she'd just delivered to a high school kid's nose.

Jane grinned. "Come on Lisbon, you can't possibly expect to go unnoticed in that bikini," he said, earning a glare from her. "Besides, the boy only wanted to tell you how pretty you look. It's not like he tried anything..."

She rolled her eyes, turning around and stomping off to their towels. "This has to be the worst vacation idea, _ever_."

Jane shook his head in mock exasperation as he ran to catch up with her. "You've got to be kidding me, Lisbon. You're probably the first – and last – person to ever claim Miami beach is awful for summer holidays."

"You only like it because every single girl here is ogling you like crazy."

Jane sighed. "Lisbon, when will you finally realize the only woman I would feel flattered being stared at by is you?"


	20. Honesty

Lisbon knew that both Jane and Red John had a habit of getting what they wanted. Jane was just so perfect and irresistible that no one could even think of denying him whatever his heart desired, and Red John was so convinced of his own superiority that he managed to convince everyone else as well.

As she pondered that, it stung Lisbon that apparently she was the one who could never sink into manipulation or intimidation, and she was the one who never really got what she wanted.

A part of her believed it was because she was simply too honest, and sometimes she could not understand why it had to be such a big flaw.

As she lay in bed at night, she wondered whether her honesty was what made her a pawn and not a player in the twisted game the two men were playing. She _tried_ to tell herself that she wasn't a pawn, but Jane's actions told her otherwise – and she just wanted out of it all.


	21. Honesty - II

Lies were Patrick Jane's greatest strength. He knew several people who could tell brazen untruths without so much as blinking, who gradually gained reputations as liars and in the end pretty much no one believed their words anymore.

But to him, dishonesty had become a way of life, ever since his early childhood. He'd made himself at home in all the covers and the plots and the schemes – he had an exceptional talent for devising the most believable lies and meeting the eyes of whoever he was speaking to that people accepted anything he told them.

Sometimes it was hard even for him to know when he was speaking the truth and when he wasn't.

But Lisbon knew him. He knew him too well for her own good, because he simply couldn't bring himself to lie to her any longer.


	22. Rival

In her eyes, Rosalind was nothing short of an insipid, simpering doll. Useless at best.

She just couldn't see what her master saw in the blind woman – the redhead had never done anything to earn his attention, she had never done anything to be of help to him whatsoever. She didn't even know _who_ he was.

She never questioned him, but to her Rosalind was a liability, and it puzzled her that he could not understand it.

Lorelei slipped into the other woman's house with a knife ready in her hand.

She would make sure that idiot would never get between her and her lover again.


	23. Dream

She dreamed that she was running through a courtyard at night, with a crystal lantern at hand, calling out his name.

The wind held its breath and she waited, and waited, for what felt like hours, but the answer she longed for never came.

Just as she was about to despair, she saw a faint glittering light feebly fighting its way through the shadows. She walked over to it, but try as she might, she couldn't reach it.

When she opened her eyes she saw nothing but the white ceiling above. With a sigh, she pushed herself up and looked around her empty bedroom.

He would return one day. She knew he would.

Because despite the walls built between them, despite the miles separating them, they now shared the same dreams.

And there was no point in denying their feelings anymore.


	24. War

Lisbon couldn't help but wonder, as she watched Jane inspecting the writing on the wall – was it paranoia or perception?

Her consultant was adamant in his belief that his longtime nemesis had left this clue behind for a reason, but she wasn't so sure. Why on earth was it so unbelievable that Red John had finally made a mistake?

It frightened her, this war Jane was fighting against shadows. Sometimes it seemed like the two men could read each other's minds, and though she wouldn't admit it out loud, Lisbon felt more scared when Jane claimed to be able to predict the serial killer's next move, when he apparently knew what was going on inside the criminal's head, than when the latter rendered them one step behind.

_Chasing monsters changes you_.

She prayed with all her might that Jane wouldn't lose himself down the vengeful path he had taken.


	25. Beauty

He could not understand why they all thought his work to be terrifying.

He could not understand why they all thought he was filled with hatred for women.

It was truly absurd. He appreciated beauty, more than any of them could ever fathom. And he believed everyone deserved to remain beautiful forever.

Especially delicate, pretty and innocent women. They did not deserve to grow old and gray. To be filled with bitterness and melancholia as the years passed them by.

One day, they would understand that he was doing more good than bad.

So what if he enjoyed it a little too much?


End file.
